UN Adopts Olympic Truce Resolution for Milano Cortina 2026

The Olympic Truce Resolution was adopted today by the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. The resolution calls for the observance of the Olympic Truce for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Kirsty Coventry, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and Giovanni Malagò, President of the Milano Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee and IOC Member, welcomed the consensus adoption in their statements during the General Assembly.

The Olympic Truce: “A call to put aside what divides us and focus on what unites us.”

In her address to the UN General Assembly, IOC President Kirsty Coventry spoke about the meaning of the Olympic Truce and reminded UN Member States how Olympic athletes embody the spirit of unity in a divided world: “Across the world, conflict and division continue to cause immeasurable suffering. In such a world, sport—and the Olympic Games in particular—can offer an exceptional space where people meet not as adversaries, but as equals. When athletes come together, they do not see nationality, religion, or origin. They see one another as fellow athletes. They show us the best of humanity. This is the spirit of the Olympic Truce: a call to put aside what divides us and instead focus on what unites us.”

The resolution received the support of 165 UN Member States. President Coventry thanked them for their backing: “I am deeply grateful for all your support. You are sending a clear message to the athletes of the world: yes, you will stand behind them when they demonstrate—on the Olympic stage—that sport can unite us despite what divides us.”

Coventry added: “Today, by adopting this resolution, we are reminded that the Olympic Movement and the United Nations share the same purpose: to bring people together, uphold human dignity, and build bridges of peace. By protecting sport as a space where everyone can come together on equal terms, we reinforce these shared values. Even in these dark times of division, it is possible to celebrate our common humanity and inspire hope in a better future. It is about realizing that the only way forward is to achieve it together: as athletes, as nations, and as a global community. This is the spirit of the Olympic Games, and it will shine brightly from Milano Cortina to the entire world.”

President Coventry also reminded the UN General Assembly that the IOC and the UN must work together to keep sport and politics separate: “This means that athletes must be able to enter host countries and compete without risking being left behind because a visa was denied for political reasons. The final list of competitors must be decided by the International Federations, not by governments. And athletes must not be judged by their place of origin, but by their sporting merit.”